The present invention relates to systems and methods for loading, transporting, and dumping bulk materials and, more specifically, to such systems and methods adapted to transport bulk materials over roadways and load and dump these materials at desired locations.
During construction projects, bulk materials such as dirt, gravel, and the like must be removed and deposited at the construction site. For example, often dirt must be removed from a site during excavation for a foundation. Gravel is then often dumped at the site and compacted to form a stable substrate for the foundation.
Conventionally, dump trucks are used to remove the dirt and deposit the gravel at the site. Dump trucks are high capacity vehicles that have a truck bed that may be tilted to dump the contents from the bed quickly and efficiently. In the example give, a loader would commonly be used to load dirt onto the truck during the excavation process. The truck will then take the dirt to a dumping location where the excavated dirt is to be deposited. The truck will then dump the excavated dirt at the dumping location. Gravel will normally be loaded onto the truck by an overhead conveyor or hopper. The truck will then take the gravel to the construction site and dump the gravel at the desired location.
To improve efficiency, dump trucks often tow a trailer that supports what will be referred to as a trailer bed. The trailer bed allows the truck to transport approximately twice the amount of dirt or gravel as a truck without a trailer bed. Conventionally, the trailer bed is loaded while on the trailer and dumped by transferring the trailer bed to the truck bed and then tilting the truck bed as described above.
The need exists for improved dump truck systems and methods that may be easily loaded and unloaded and can carry large loads during each trip.
The term xe2x80x9cbulk materialxe2x80x9d will be used herein to refer to any material that may be loaded onto, transported by, and dumped from a dump truck of the kind to which the present invention relates. The term xe2x80x9cdesired locationxe2x80x9d will be used to refer to the precise point at which material is to be deposited, while the term xe2x80x9ctransfer sitexe2x80x9d will be used to refer more broadly to the general area surrounding the desired location.
A dump truck system comprising a vehicle, a trailer assembly, and hitch means. The trailer assembly comprises a trailer frame assembly. The hitch means connects the support member to the vehicle.
In one embodiment, the trailer assembly further comprises a support member attached to the trailer frame assembly and a suspension assembly arranged between the support member and the trailer frame assembly. The suspension assembly resiliently opposes transmission of shocks from the trailer frame assembly to the vehicle as the vehicle pulls the trailer assembly.
In another embodiment, the vehicle comprises a vehicle bed having a gate assembly movable between open and closed positions, the a trailer frame assembly is operable in a selected one of a rail configuration and a notch configuration, and a trailer bed is adapted to be supported by the trailer frame assembly. The trailer assembly is operable in a tow configuration a transfer configuration. When the trailer frame is in the notch configuration, the trailer assembly may be moved from the tow configuration into the transfer configuration with the gate assembly in the closed position